


One lives, One dies

by Ethylenra



Category: MacGyver (TV 2016)
Genre: Episode: s03e11 Mac + Fallout + Jack, Gen, Jack/Mac if you wish to see it like that, M/M, No one actually dies don't worry, Suicide Attempt, gun - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-08
Updated: 2019-01-13
Packaged: 2019-10-06 19:49:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,756
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17351498
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ethylenra/pseuds/Ethylenra
Summary: What if Mac didn't think of an alternate solution to get Jack and him out of that basement?Would their only choice be to shoot the other?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi ! This is my first fanfiction, after reading a lot of them in this fandom, I wondered why not write some myself?  
> However English is not my first language, if you see some mistakes I'm sorry and I hope they won't make you cringe too much.  
> Hope you enjoy it!

One lives, one dies. The sentence resonates in his head, what if it was the only way? The only way he could keep Jack alive. Honestly, it was what mattered the most. Never in his life had Mac met someone as important as Jack. He didn’t think he could live without him. Otherwise he’d go insane in a matter of hours. That was for certain.

“That goddamn son of a bitch! If he thinks he can trap us here, he is so mistaken”. Jack then approached the camera. “Hey! What are you waiting for? You know man, it’s not nice to make us miss our manniversary! In fact, you know what? It’s a really dumb thing to do. My friend here and I will make you wish you never took us once we get out of here! You hear me? You gonna rot in prison anyway so just let us out.” By the end of his speech Mac was sure Jack had used all the hand gestures earth and human language could have ever provided. Was it for scaring the enemy? He wasn’t sure, plus the other guy, whoever he was, was probably not even in this building. And anyway why would he be scared of the very people he captured?

Jack then turned around to face Mac and murmured “What’s your plan Mac? I mean, now that I’ve threatened the poor guy we should probably find a way out.”

And there it was, the very problem Mac couldn’t solve. He really tried but could find nothing that would help them break the door. It was built in a very resistant and tough metal. There was just no way out. If only they hadn’t taken his SAK he would have been able to do something, perhaps built some sort of catapult with the fire extinguisher. He doesn’t know, right now he is so tired he can’t even think straight. Only thing that keeps popping to his mind is that damned sentence. One lives, one dies. He couldn’t kill Jack, he doesn’t think he would ever have the guts to do it. And Mac knew that Jack would never do it too. They loved each other too much.

“I don’t know Jack, nothing comes to mind right now. I’m not so sure there even is a way out.” Just hearing that Jack was scandalized, he had never known Mac to be so pessimistic. Of course he knew something was not right with the kid those last weeks but he had never thought Mac would be so downbeat. In fact he had wanted to go to Vegas for just that, to lift the kid’s spirit. He thought some fresh air would do him good. But once again he had forgotten about their miserable luck.

“Mac, there has to be a way out, you always think of something! I have faith in you buddy. Just search in your big ol’ brain and I’m sure you can find a way out”. Jack insisted.

Mac just put his back on the wall and slid down against it, looking desperate. “I just… I can’t find another way this time Jack. We are both exhausted and in a few hours if we don’t have anything to drink we’ll both be dead. I can’t… I just can’t die like that Jack!” One lives one dies. The voice resonated again in his head. “You heard him Jack, I gotta do it, otherwise we can’t get out. He won’t let us.” Jack could see Mac’s hand was trembling, hell his whole body was trembling. What was his brother talking about? As much as he wanted he didn’t have much time to dwell on it because it looked like Mac was panicking. His breath was coming in irregular little puffs that didn’t seem to provide much air. He rushed to his kid as quickly as he could, the cut chain not bothering him anymore.

“Now, now don’t freak out kid. There you go deep breaths, follow my respiration”. With each word Jack made circular moves in Mac’s back to soothe him. When he seemed to have calmed down a little, Jack ran a hand through his fluffy golden hair. He so badly wanted to reassure the closest thing he had for a son that they were gonna make it out alive, but right now he was not so sure.

“I’m sure the answer is there, we just have to find it. Just like that escape game you did with that chick a few months ago, that was fun, wasn’t it?”  
Jack wanted to relax his partner with some of his usual annoying jokes. However right now Mac looks like he is not listening, again lost in his head. Jack hates it when he does that, that utter feeling of helplessness he feels, he can’t bear it.

Suddenly Mac is moving, straightening and getting out of his embrace. Ever so slowly he draws the gun they found when they first woke up. His brother is looking at him with eyes full of pure determination. He looks somewhat detached and Jack abruptly understands what he is about to do. Rushing to get to his son in all but blood, he gets up as fast as he can. Yet he is not quickly enough and by the time he’s finally upright Mac already has the gun pressed to his head.

“Listen to me Mac, don’t do this, I’m sure there is another way. Don’t sacrifice your life like that. You know I could never live if anything happened to you. If-if you died I could never be myself anymore.”

“I… I have to do it. Believe me big guy I thought of every possibility, we are already dehydrated, tired and aching, the only solution is to follow the rules. One lives, one dies”

“Come on, Mac you know that’s bullshit! I will not let this happen!” Jack then decided to make a break for it and push that gun far away from his little brother.  
However Mac saw Jack moving and snapped the barrel on the gun. A silent warning not to get closer. Now just a trigger to push and he would be no more.

“J-Jack we both know I could never kill you and… And this is the only outcome where one of us makes it out alive.” Mac said shakily. He was ready to do it for all his friends, his family, especially if it meant saving Jack. After all he was the one that always stayed, no matter if Mac screwed up or not. Jack was always this stable rock in his life. He couldn’t explain for the love of him how much Jack meant to him. Perhaps he could in actions. His decision was taken anyway. From the day Jack re-upped in Afghanistan his decision had been made. If putting an end to his life would mean that Jack continued to live then he would do it without regret. Anything for Jack.

Jack could see what was going on in the kid’s mind as Mac got paler and paler and he didn’t like it one bit. Damn that boy and his lack of self-confidence. Mac always thought at himself as expendable. A reasoning Jack had been trying to change for years now. Yet no matter what he did Mac never took care of himself the way he should have.

“I’m so sorry Jack, I ne-never wanted to leave you. I’m really sorry, could-could you tell that to the others too? Bozer, Riley and Matty. They deserved better.” He was now openly crying. His speech cut by sobs he could not hold back. All the better because now Jack was crying too. Desperately trying to get his brother back to reason.

Jack fell to his knees begging Mac to put the gun away, to throw it away, to think of another solution, anything but that. Because if Mac really did it, Jack was sure he would follow. Their motto “You go kaboom, I go kaboom” wasn’t here for nothing after all. He even shouted it to Mac, he would do anything if that could make him change his mind. If only he had kept that goddamn gun! They wouldn’t be in this fucking situation! Between the tears in his eyes Jack saw that Mac was now a lot calmer, eyes full of kindness and sorrow. 

He closed his eyes. “I love you Jack.”

A gunshot rang.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the following! Hope you like it :)

Jack was holding his breath. Not willing to open his eyes. It was not possible, it was just not possible. Mac couldn’t be gone. He wasn’t supposed to. They were gonna have their manniversary in Vegas. And if it didn’t cheer the kip up enough, he was going to take him to the ranch in Texas. His family would have openly greeted them. They were used to him bringing Mac to the ranch. By the first time Mac had crossed his mother's door in Texas it felt like he was already a part of the family. Oh God, he couldn’t go back without him, he couldn’t.

He had to open his eyes now, he was still kneeling and he couldn’t just stand here forever. Strangely his knees didn’t hurt him in the slightest, emotional pain stronger than physical one. The moment Jack finally made the decision to open his eyes he was met with a very shocked and very alive Mac.

In a small part of his brain Jack couldn’t understand it, what had happened? Why was there a gunshot if Mac was still alive? But right now he couldn’t bother with all this questions. He ran to his brother and gripped him in a neck breaking hug.

“Oh my God Mac, I thought you… I thought you were gonna do it, I was so scared” Jack said with a hoarse voice. The door then burst open, revealing Leanna and Bozer, both in tac gear.

“Mac! Jack! We found them! Riley, we got them!” Bozer was talking frantically in his earpiece. “You seriously scared us guys. We didn’t know where you were, you weren’t in Las Vegas and neither of you were answering your phones.” Bozer was now hovering around them. Jack could feel that Mac was a bit overwhelmed and lessened only for a little bit his hold on him.

Leanna, whom had been relatively quiet since they entered the room, seemed to have seen it too and murmured something into Bozer’s ear. Jack couldn’t really see, with his head still in Mac’s hair blocking the view behind them.

“What? Uh sorry guys if we scared you were we released the lock, Leanna had to shot it, it wouldn’t budge.”

And suddenly everything was making sense, the gunshot they had just heard was the one Leanna shot to open the door and Mac hadn’t had the time to fire the gun. If they had come just a second later the situation would have been very different. Brrr. Jack preferred not to think of it. It had been way to close this time. It was sure to give him nightmares for the next few months, perhaps even the next few years if he was honest with himself. With that he tightened his grip on Mac, not letting go of his little brother. Not ever if he could. Cause for now his partner was with him and what he needed more was Jack’s presence.

Speaking of whom, Mac doesn’t seem to grasp the entire situation. Jack follows his line of sight but it looks like his partner is staring at nothing. He has that particular thousand yards stare he always has after particularly difficult nightmares. Boze seems to have noticed it too because he comes near them and only gives a little shake on Mac’s shoulder. It’s a little nudge, just to show Mac that he is here, with him, but not enough to startle him and make him panic.

Jack is ever so grateful for the friend Mac has, the friend that stayed alongside Mac for all his life. One of the few people Mac could count to have stayed. It broke Jack’s heart that this little family they share are all used to Mac’s nightmares and how to deal with them. It shouldn’t be like this. Mac, Riley and Bozer, they are too young for this. Even Leanna. 

Alas Jack knows he could never make them change their jobs. It's what they like doing, what they are best at. If one day Mac wanted to change jobs, he knew he would change with him. His passion isn’t really working as a spy, yeah he likes all the good they bring to the world. But the most important thing is working with Mac, with his family.

So he takes the still unresponsive Mac by the arm and leads him out of this shithole. Bozer and Leanna can take care of the guy who kidnapped them. He isn’t even sure if the bastard is in the basement or not, perhaps he already ran away at the sight of two armed agents. Who knows? And actually who cares? Mac and him, they are out of here right this minute.

By the time they are back at Mac and Bozer’s house, his brother still hasn’t said a word and Jack’s beyond worried. He hopes they can talk it out on Mac’s couch near the fire with a good old beer in hand. Jack knows the discussion will be difficult but it has to be done. Bozer has gone to Leanna for tonight, understanding they needed time with only the both of them.

He sets his partner on the couch and goes to grab them a blanket. It isn’t particularly chilly outside (they are in LA after all) but it’s cosier, and after the day they had, it's what they need. Jack passes his hand behind Mac’s shoulders so that his little brother can rest his head on Jack’s chest. 

Mac is shaking. Jack wagers the realization of what he was about to do is finally catches up with him.  
Mac was really about to do it, he was ready to do it. He was willing to end his life, just a second more and he would have done it. It scared him more than he would ever let on. Fortunately Jack is here. He always is. He’s like this stable force in his life. Never leaving. Mac can only hope that Jack knows he is so much more than a helicopter parent for him. He’s beyond thankful for the man’s presence in his life. He doesn’t know what he would have done without him. Perhaps he would have stayed in the military? That meant he would never had met his little family. He knows how cliché it sounds but his phoenix family really is that little ray of sunshine in his life.

“Thanks again Jack” Mac croaked.

Jack realizes his partner wants to say more so he just lets his other hand roam through the kid's thick blond hair. “You know Jack, I-I didn’t want to do it, not really, but if it meant you stayed alive…” Mac trailed off. 

“I know what you mean kiddo. I just hope it never comes to that, I would have done the same thing if I had that bloody gun”

Mac looked at Jack with those big blue eyes. “I know Jack, and that’s what scares me” And God help him if his kid doesn’t make him tear up. No, he won’t cry, he shed enough tears today. He's sure if he begins to cry right now, Mac will too and they would just end up being two sobbing messes on the couch. No, he needs to reassure Mac, not make him feel guilty for what he has gone through.

“Hey now, that’s our thing isn’t it? This so called ‘co-dependency’” Jack winked. Mac chuckled and let his head rest on Jack’s chest once more.

"Yeah, I guess old man"

"Now who you calling old Carl's junior?" Jack said with one of his devilish grin. He then proceeded to mercilessly tickle Mac's stomach. They laughed until they were out of breath.

If one of Mac’s neighbors were to saw them now they would be so embarrassed, one over the other, both flushed messes. They would be mistaken for lovers. No, Jack was not going there, that was a talk for another day. 

Today was not okay, not at all. But for now it would have to do. They had each other and that’s all that mattered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The story is finished! I hope you enjoyed it and that it was not too much OOC

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry for the cliffhanger. I'm thinking of making a second chapter though. This one was maybe a little OOC. Well I hope you still liked it!


End file.
